Switzerland-03292 - Lion Monument
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The Lion Monument in Lucerne is a giant dying lion carved out of a wall of sandstone rock above a pond.
It is a memorial for the mercenary soldiers from central Switzerland who lost their lives while serving the French king Louis XVI during the French Revolution.
When the revolutionary masses attacked the royal Tuileries castle in Paris on August 10, 1792 the Swiss mercenary troops tried to defend the royal family so the royals could try to escape.
The giant sculpture is 6 m [20 ft] high and 10 m [33 ft] long.
Before completing the monument, the artist, Bertel Thorvaldsen, was told that not enough money had been raised to pay for his work so he would not be fully paid. Thorvaldsen wanted to make a public statement about his disdain for the situation. Out of respect for the fallen soldiers he chose not to damage the sculpture itself and decided instead to change the shape of the nook the lion lay inside. The outside edge is in the shape of a pig to this day; a subtle but clear message of his feelings.